Are you prepared to cover the costs of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis – for either a loved one or yourself? How will you do that?

Just completed preparing the tax return for a loved one, a relative, with Alzheimer’s. And this is the time of year when difficult decisions and hard, glaring facts are reviewed and aired. I firmly believe that most of the “Stuff” you read about the costs of caring for an Alzheimer’s patient are written by people who don’t have a clue. Not one. Not a single one. Why? Because the focus of most articles on this topic is how expensive institutional care can be. So – is institutional care (nursing home care, assisted-living facilities, etc) “expensive?” Of course it is. Especially if covering those costs is a “financial surprise” for either you or your loved ones. BUT, what these articles don’t tell you is that the choosing an alternative to institutional care is way, way more expensive – on most metrics you can measure. Do NOT hide your head in the sand on this one. 1-in-9 people over 65 get Alzheimer’s. Even more frightening? 44% of those 75-84 are diagnosed with this crippler. And, let me be clear. Alzheimer’s care requires 24-7-365 coverage. It’s that simple.